THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: BJP state president P. S. Sreedharan Pillai has invited the wrath of his party colleagues for not taking up the Sabarimala issue in the recent meeting of office-bearers held in the capital. A senior leader even walked out of the meeting in a huff when a large majority of the leaders did not initiate a discussion on the issue.
The office-bearers' meeting went on discussing trivial matters, a senior BJP leader said. “It is unfortunate that the BJP, which made rapid strides in the Sabarimala protest, is not giving it the priority it demands." Rumours were rife that a certain BJP spokesperson had told the state president that a leader of his stature should be sitting on an indefinite fast before the Secretariat. But a top BJP source told DC that it is a ploy of the leader to hog the limelight for himself.
"But it is true that Mr Pillai came under flak from other senior leaders in the core committee meeting,” said a BJP source. "He got no support from his party colleagues except from general secretary M.T. Ramesh. It was this duo who had called for the two hartals which invited public ire."
It may be recalled that former BJP state president V. Muraleedharan and Mr Pillai do not see eye to eye. It is understood that the dissident faction had taken a decision to corner Mr Pillai even before the core committee meeting and office bearers' meeting had started.
The state BJP leadership is in fact groping in the dark as how to prolong the indefinite fast before the secretariat until January 22 when the Supreme Court considers the writ petitions and review petitions, as per the diktat from the central leadership.
At present, BJP state general secretary Sobha Surendran is continuing her indefinite fast before the secretariat for the third day on Friday.
